Medium-spice tteokbokki lunch near Sinyongsan Station: Hyeonseonine

If you're out for lunch in Yongsan and can't decide what to eat, let me recommend a Sinyongsan spot haha. I went looking for a hearty tteokbokki (Korean spicy rice cake) place for an office lunch, and ended up at Hyeonseonine Yongsan Main Branch, often called one of Seoul's three best tteokbokki spots.

Hyeonseonine Yongsan Main Branch at a glance

• Location: About a 5-minute walk from Exit 6 of Sinyongsan Station
• Hours: Daily 11:00–24:00 (break time on Mondays)
• Signature menu: Instant tteokbokki ₩11,000 per person (minimum order for 2) / Self-serve fried rice ₩3,500

How to walk to Hyeonseonine from Sinyongsan Station

Hyeonseonine Yongsan Main Branch is close to Sinyongsan Station. Come out Exit 6, walk a short way down the alley, and there it is. It stands out even from a distance, so finding it wasn't hard at all.

You can also walk from Yongsan Station, but Sinyongsan Station is a bit closer. It's also a great spot to swing by for lunch from around I'Park Mall.

Ordering at the kiosk and setting the heat as the table guide says

You get seated first, then order through the kiosk. Pickled radish, utensils, and water are all self-serve from the bar. Since the instant tteokbokki is cooked right at the table on an induction burner, each table has its own heat-control guide.

It says to start on high heat, lower it once it boils, then switch to warm at the end — easy to follow even for first-timers. As long as you keep an eye on the heat so the mandu (dumplings) and egg don't burn, it's hard to mess up.

Instant tteokbokki for two at 22,000 won: how spicy is medium?

Instant tteokbokki is ₩11,000 per person (minimum order for 2). We ordered two servings and picked medium from the three spice levels — mild, medium, spicy. Even medium turned out pretty spicy, somewhere between Shin Ramyun and Buldak in heat. The rice cakes, fish cakes, and vegetables were all generous in size, so two servings felt plenty.

As the broth reduces down, the flavor gets more concentrated and practically begs for rice. I bet adding ramen or jjolmyeon noodles would go great with it too.

There's a review event going on too, worth checking out! A free slushie or size upgrade — since it's pretty spicy, a slushie sounds perfect.

Yakimandu arrives on a separate plate

The yakimandu (fried dumplings) come out separately from the tteokbokki! You can eat them straight away, but I dunked mine right into the tteokbokki broth. The fish cake broth that came alongside was great too.

Since it's fried, the outside is crispy, but once the broth soaks in the inside turns soft and moist. Eaten with the spicy broth, it's never greasy and keeps you reaching for more.

Finishing with self-serve fried rice for 3,500 won

Self-serve fried rice is ₩3,500. Once you've made a dent in the tteokbokki, you can order fried rice and cook it yourself. Rice and dried seaweed flakes go into the leftover broth, all fried right on the induction burner.

You can control the heat to get a scorched-rice crust at the bottom if you like, almost like nurungji. My coworker and I cleaned out even the fried rice — perfect way to end the meal. Ugh, so full haha.

Is Hyeonseonine a good office lunch in Yongsan?

It's a hearty office lunch, and there's the fun of cooking the instant tteokbokki yourself. The downside is no parking, so the subway is easier than driving. Recommended if you like spicy food or want a filling meal like a team lunch outing. Next time I'm going to try the spicy level :)